Dispensing and positioning articles



Original Filed April 14 1931 I 4 Sheets-Sheet l "'IHHIIIH f3. l. I

0 q o L w AINVENTOR M15011 Jc/zrmabr April 3 1934 M. SCHNAIER DISPENSING AND POSITIONING ARTICLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed April 14. 1931 INVENTOR Milton JZ /imier BY ww m 4 J M ATTORNEYS April 3, 193%. M sQHNAflER I,%3,5W

DISPENSING AND POSITIONING ARTICLES Original Filed April 14, 1931 4- Sheets-5heet 5 46% ATTORNEY April 3, 1934. M. SCHNAIER 1,953,507

DISPENSING AND POSITIONING ARTICLES Original Filed April 14. 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 t i? v INVENTOR ATTORN EYS Patented Apr. 3, 1934 DISEENSING AND POSITIONING ARTICLES Milton Schnaier, New York, N. Y.

Application April 14, 1931, Serial No. 529,989 Renewed June 13, 1983 16 Claims.

My present invention While capable of a wide field of usefulness in various arts where articles are to be dispensed from a magazine and deposited in a container or receiver, is especially adapted for embodiment in a splint dispensing mechanism. More particularly the apparatus is designed for handling elongated fiat handle members or splints, such as those commonly employed in the manufacture of frozen handled confections of the character disclosed in my prior Patent No.

1,764,282, issued June 17, 1930.

In manufacturing articles of this character, the present practice is to emplace the sticks in a receiving or carrying device in which the upper ends of the sticks are gripped, the lower ends of the sticks projecting equal distances therebelow. The stick gripper is then placed up on a multicompartment mold containing the liquid to be frozen, the sticks being properly centered with respect to the individual mold cavities, and immersed to a predetermined extent in the liquid which subsequently becomes bonded to the sticks during freezing.

A machine embodying the present invention is especially effective in charging the stick receiver and gripper with the handle sticks, accomplishing this function in an expeditious manner and so arranging the sticks within the receiver that they all project a similar distance therebelow and are properly centered therein for subsequent correct correlation with the mold cavities, all to the end that the uniformity of the product may be promoted.

'iy copending application, Serial No. 516,525,

filed Feb. 17, 1931, is concerned, among other things, with a similar problem of filling the stick receivers, and reference may be had to that application for a more complete exposition of the manner in which the receivers after being supplied with the sticks, are subsequently collocated \viththe molds. The apparatus of such prior application, however, is primarily intended for use inplants where large quantity production of the confections is in progress and is semi-automatic in character, whereas the present invention finds its preferred embodiment in a simple and much less expensive machine of the pedal operated type.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character in which the stick niaga zines from which the sticks are fed to the receiver, may be conveniently bodily r moved from the machine for recharging with sticks and conveniently bodily replaced, thereby considerably simplifying the magazine charging operation.

Another object is to provide a stick magazine of simple, rugged construction, so mounted upon the machine and so conveniently interfitted with the other parts of the machine that the entire structure is materially simplified and the cost of manufacture reduced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character which will be substantially fool-proof in operation and which may be easily manipulated by an unskilled operator.

Another object is to provide such a machine requiring but a slight expenditure of power on the part of the operator to effect the dispensing of sticks or shifting of the stick receiver under the dispensing means as successive rows of individual stick holders are filled.

In accordance with preferred embodiment of the invention, machine includes a suitable support. for a stick receiver and upon such support, means for conveniently gauging the position of the receiver relatively to the discharge orifices of a superjacent magazine structure. Below the support for the receiver, is a gauging table so that as the sticks drcp into the receiving tubes or funnels with which the receiver is provided, t.e istance which they project below the individual receivers, will be determined and rendered uniform by the gauging table.

The stick magazines, as suggested above, are bodily removable from the machine for charging purposes and when charged, be conveniently and quickly assembled on the machine, each with one or more rows of sticks therein. The rows of sticks, arranged back to back, are urged toward the forward discharge ends of the magazines and a pedal operated cross head carries a set of pushers simultaneously operable to eject the first stick from each row downwardly into the aligned individual receptacles of the stick receiving device.

The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a broken front elevational view of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View therethrough taken approximately on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3A is an enlarged vertical sectional detail through the forward end of a magazine and its associated pusher arm and cross head;

Fig. I} is an enlarged transverse sectional view on the line l--4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the dou ble follower units which urges the rows of sticks forwardly in their magazines;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 6--6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional plan view taken approximately on the line '7-7 of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing one of the magazine units removed from the machine.

The gauging table 10 of the machine is mounted upon a rectangular angle iron frame 11, the latter being supported upon suitable legs 12, which are connected at their lower ends by cross frame members 13, and may be additionally braced by the diagonal bracing members 14. Pairs of short standards 15 rising from opposite sides of the frame work 11, mount the spaced horizontal angle bars 16, the flanges of which serve as the supporting means for the feet 17 of a portable stick receiving device, indicated generally at S, which will be later described. Qn the upper ends of the standards 15, there is mounted a table 18, serving to support the removable magazine units, one of which is shown in perspective in Fig. 8, and designated generally by the reference letter M.

At the forward end of the table 18, there is arranged a skeleton frame casting 19, which provides suitable guides 20 for the vertically reciprocatory pushers 21, which in their descending movement, eject the forward sticks from the magazines and urge them downwardly into the receiver S. Pushers 21 are carried by a common cross head 22 rigidly fixed to a pair of vertical slide rods 23 having suitable bearings in the ends of the frame 19 and in brackets 24, projecting laterally from the rectangular frame 11. The lower ends of the rods 23 are connected by a cross piece 24 and the ends of this cross piece are engaged by the coiled contractile springs 25, anchored as at 26, to the lower corners of the frame 19, and tending tomaintain the cross head in elevated position.

Downward movement of the cross head is limed by engagement of the cross head 22 with the top of the frame 19 and the upward spring urged movement thereof is limited by the engagement of collars 27 on the slide rods 23 with the bearing brackets 2s.

A simple form of mechanism for depressing the cross head against the action of its springs may comprise the treadle lever 28 having its rear end fulcrumed as at 29, within a bracket 30, rising from one of the frame members 13. The free forward end of the lever carries a foot 31 and the lever intermediate its ends is connected to the cross bar 24, by a link 32. This link may comprise a relatively light gauge rigid wire or it may be replaced by a flexible device of any suitable character.

The construction of the stick receivers S is fully disclosed in my prior application, Serial No. 500,457 filed December 6, 1930, and need be discussed but very bri fly and generally in the present application.

Each of these receivers will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 3, is formed of a plurality of longitudinally extending fiat rails 33, rigidly connected at their ends to the intermediate portions of U shaped straps 34, the legs of which extend upwardly and are connected by cross handles 35. The ends of the rails 33 are turned down and bent under to provide the feet 17. Fixed in each rail 33 at regularly spaced intervals, are a series of generally funnel shaped receptacles 36, through which the sticks 37 are adapted to drop and come to rest on the gauging table 10. To grip the upper ends of the sticks and lock them in the receiver, a plurality of transversely extending gripper bars 38 are provided. Each of these bars carries a knife or wedge 39, adapted to Work through a slot in an associated transverse row of funnels 36, and clamp thev sticks therein. All of the cross bars 38 are mounted upon a pair of slidable carrier rails 4:0 disposed between certain of the rails and actuated by a toggle lever arrangement shown generally at 41. It will be observed that the stick receivers have six transverse rows of four sticks each and the magazine of the machine is correspondingly arranged to deliver six sticks at a time.

To accomplish this purpose, I provide three magazine units each having a pair of stick receiving channels. Since all of these units are identical, a description of one will suffice for all. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of these magazines and their cross sectional contour is best seen from Fig. 4:. Arranged at each end of the magazine are a pair of castings designated generally at 56. The castings are roughly of inverted U-shape in cross section and the legs of the Us are deeply recessed as at 51, in order to accommodate the upwardly facing channel members 52 in which the rows of sticks 3'7 are received. The pairs of brackets and the pairs of spaced channel members 52, the ends of which are received in the brackets, are welded or otherwise secured together. The forward ends of the channels are closed by a plate 53 which in cross section conforms generally to the cross sectional shape of the brackets themselves, and the rear ends of the channels closed in any suitable manner. The plate 53 has a pin 54 projecting from the face thereof and above the pin is notched as at 55.

The foot portion 56 of the rear bracket is provided with a hole 5'1 adapted for engagement with a pin 58 projecting upwardly from the table 18.

As seen from the plan View of Fig. 7, the legs of the front bracket of each magazine, straddle a generally wedged shape member 60, screwed or otherwise secured at 61 upon the table 18. When assembling the magazines upon the table therefore, it is merely necessary to slide them forwardly, the Wedge guiding them into proper position against plate or plates 56 carried by the frame 19, so that the pin 54 will enter a corresponding opening 55 in the plate 56. As the magazines reach this position, the rear pin 58 comes into alignment with the opening 57, in the rear and the rear end of the magazine drops into posit on with the parts locked against inadvertent lateral or longitudinal displacement.

Means is provided for engaging the rear ends of the rows of sticks in the channels 37 and forcing them forwardly against the plate 53. One type of follower device, which has proven effective for the purpose, is shown in perspective in Fig. 5. and indicated generally at F. It includes a pair of fiat parallel follower plates 63 adapted to enter site d'rections from the mouths of these chanlac nels.- They serve to provide a track upon which the ends of the bar 64 ride and also to interlock with the grooves or notches 68 of the followers.

To urge the followers against the rows of sticks in the magazines, the intermediate portion of the cross member 67 is connected by a flexible device 70 to a counterweight 71. The flexible device is led forwardly passing through the notch 55 in the plate 53, and passing around a pulley 72 mounted in a bracket 74 carried by the front face of the plate 56. The flexible device is then led rearwardly under the casting brackets 50, passing around a pulley 75 fixed in brackets '76, carried by angle bars '77 at the rear end of the table 18 and joined to the counterweight.

It will be seen that this construction is such that the lower run of the flexible device in no way interferes with the removal of the magazines 1 from the table and that in order to provide clearance for the removal of the magazines, it is merely necessary to get the followers and the upper run of the flexible device out of the way.

One convenient method of holding the upper run of the flexible device together with the follower out of interfering relationship with the magazines while the latter are being removed and refilled, is illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, wherein it will be noted that the counterweight '71 has been lifted up and hung on a hook 78 which is provided for that purpose and which is attached to the angle bar 77. With the weight thus positioned, ample slack is afforded in the flexible device and the follower member may simply be picked up and hung over the top of the cross head 22, dangling in front of the ma chine so there is nothing to interfere with either removal or replacement of the stick magazine.

One convenient manner in which these magazines may be charged with sticks is illustrated in my copending application, Serial No. 524,841, filed March 24th, 1931, and need not be described in detail herein.

As best seen from Figs. 3 and 3A, a cam plate 80 is secured immediately behind the frame 19, the inclined edge 81 of this plate serving to de press any stick in the row which may be slightly elevated above its follows. Fig. 8A also illustrates the effective stroke of the pusher fingers 21 and it will be observed that when the cross head is fully depressed, the pusher finger has engaged a stick, forced through the opening 83, which is provided for that purpose in the forward end of the channel 52 and has actually followed the stick out of the channel and downwardly through the opening 84 in the table 18, which provides clearance for the downward passage of the sticks. Every time the treadle is depressed, the cross head is caused to move downwardly and eject a set of six sticks into the six corresponding receptacles 36.

Means is provided for conveniently aligning the various rows of receptacles under the discharge openings of the magazine. Such means in the present instance, is illustrated as a plurality of stop members on the rails 16. These stop members are four in number. Three of them designated by 85, 86 and 87, have inclined forward faces and vertical abutment faces at their rear sides. A fourth stop 88 disposed well rearwardly on the other three, has a vertical forwardly facing abutment face 89.

To register the stick receiver with the magazines, the receiver is placed upon the rails 16 and pushed rearwardly until it abuts the stop 88, it being understood that the feet 17 will cam over the stops 85, 86 and 87, as the receiver is moved in a rearward direction. When the receiver abuts the stop 88, its forward line of stick receiving funnels is in correct position to receive the sticks.

After this line of funnels has been loaded. thereceiver is retracted to the position of Fig. 3, where it abuts the rear stop 87 and brings the second line of funnels into position for stick reception. By slightly tilting the receiver and drawing it forward, it engages the next stop 88 and finally the stop 85. In these positions, the third and fourth row of funnels are ready to receive the sticks. The sticks may then be simultaneously clamped in their individual holders 36 by actuating the toggle lever arrangement at 41 and the receiver with the sticks clamped therein may be removed and transported by its handles 35 to its point of use.

The operation of the machine will have become substantially self-evident from the foregoing description but it may be briefly summarized as follows. The first operation is of course to load the stick magazines with the sticks 37 and to ac complish this result, the weight '71 and the follower member F are disposed in the dotted line positions of Fig. 3. The magazines may be conveniently removed, filled with sticks and replaced. In replacing them, each magazine is jammed forwardly against the plate 56, wedges 60 tending to center the magazine and the pins 54 and 58 becoming interlocked in their respective sockets. The follower is now withdrawn and engaged by an endwise sliding movement with the flanges 69 of the channels 52. As the weight 71 is removed from the hook 78 it becomes effective to draw the follower forwardly,tightly pressing the rows of sticks together so that the warping tendencies of the sticks will be substantially overcome and each stick in the row will be in a true vertical position. The receiver is now placed on the rails and pushed against the stop 88. Treadle 31 is depressed and actuates the cross head and causes The counterweight '71 will continue to act upon the rows of sticks in the magazines until such sticks have been completely exhausted. Inas much as each channel of each magazine holds the same number of sticks, all of the magazines will become empty simultaneously they may therefore be conveniently simultaneously withdrawn and recharged.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described apparatus in which the several features of this invention are embodied, and which apparatus in its action attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereoflit is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- 1. In a machine of the class described, a gaugiii) ing table, support means above the gauging table, upon which a splint receiver is adapted to be emplaced, a splint magazine above the support means, and means for ejecting a splint from the magazine and positively moving it directly down wardly through a receiver on the support means, to an extent limited by the gauging table, the lower ends of said splints being entered in the receiver before the upper ends thereof leave the magazine.

2. In a machine of the class described, a gauging table, support means above the gauging table, upon which an article receiver is adapted to be emplaced, an article magazine above the support means, means for ejecting an article from the magazine and moving it downwardly through a receiver on the support means, to an extent limited by the gauging table, means for supporting a row of flat, elongated articles in the magazine and for advancing the row as succeeding articles are ejected therefrom and means removably securing the magazine in position in such a manner that the latter may be bodily removed from the machine and recharged.

3. In a machine of the class described, a gauging table, support means above the gauging table, upon which an article receiver is adapted to be emplaced, an article magazine above the support means, means for ejecting an article from the magazine and moving it downwardly through a receiver on the support means, to an extent limited by the gauging table, means for supporting a row of flat elongated articles in the magazine and for advancing the row as succeeding articles are ejected therefrom and means removably securing the magazine in position in such a manner that the latter may be bodily removed from the machine and recharged, and means normally tending to prevent such removal.

4. In a machine of the class described, a gauging table, support means above the gauging table, upon which an article receiver is adapted to be emplaced, an article magazine above the support means, means for ejecting an article from the magazine and moving it downwardly through a receiver on the support means, to an extent limited by the gauging table, means for supporting a row of flat elongated articles in the magazine and for advancing the row as succeeding articles are ejected therefrom and means removably securing the magazine in position in such a manner that the latter may be bodily removed from the machine and recharged, the means for urging the rows of articles forwardly normally tending to prevent such removal, and said means being displaceable to permit removal of the magazine.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a portable magazine structure adapted to carry a plurality of rows of splints or the like comprising a pair of spaced channel members to receive the splints and having flanged mouths, means to close the forward ends of the channels, means to rigidly connect the channels and space them apart and a follower member slidably interlocked with the flanged mouths of the channels and including means to enter the channels and bear against the last splints of the respective rows.

6. In a machine of the class described, a plate, a splint carrying magazine mounted on the plate and means at the forward end of the plate to provide an abutment for said magazine, the magazine including a pair of open topped channels in which a plurality of splints are adapted to be arranged back to back, a pair of castings connecting the channels at their ends and spacing them apart, a follower including means projecting into the channels and engaging behind the rows of splints, a counterweight for drawing the follower against the sticks and a flexible device connecting the counterweight and follower, said flexible device including a run extending under the magazines and their castings and a run extending from one casting and connected to the follower, whereby upon removal of the follower and one run of the flexible device, the magazines may be freely removed from their support.

'7. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a gauging table supported on the frame, a pair of spaced parallel support rails arranged above the gauging table, adapted to support an article receiver, an article magazine arranged above the rails, a vertically reciprocable cross head and means carried thereby for displacing articles from the magazine downwardly through the stick receiver to an extent limited by the gauging table, springs normally maintaining the cross head in elevated position, and a pedal lever for depressing the cross head, said cross head being supported on sliding rods straddling the machine and connected to each other and to the treadle lever under the gauging table.

8. In. a machine of the class described, a frame, a'gauging table supported on the frame, a pair of spaced parallel support rails arranged above the gauging table, adapted to support an article receiver, an article magazine arranged above the rails, a vertically reciprocable cross head and means carried thereby for displacing articles from the magazine downwardly through the article receiver to an extent limited by the gauging table, stop means on the rails to facilitate correct positioning of the article receiver, certain of said stop means having cam faces over which the receiver is adapted to ride when moved in one direction along the rails.

9. In a machine of the class described, a plate, a splint carrying magazine mounted on the plate and means at the forward end of the plate to provide an abutment for said magazine, the magazine including a pair of open topped channels in which a plurality of splints are adapted to be arranged back to back, a pair of castings connecting the channels at their ends and spacing them apart, a follower including means projecting into the channels and engaging behind the rows of splints. a counterweight for drawing the follower against the sticks and a flexible device connecting the counterweight and follower, said flexible device including a run extending under the magazines and their castings and a run extending from one casting and connected to the follower, whereby upon removal of the follower and one run of the flexible device, the magazines may be freely removed from their support, and means to support the counterweight in such a position that it does not exert tension on the flexible device.

10. In a machine of the class described, a frame. a gauging table supported thereon, means above the gauging table to support an article receiver and an article magazine arranged above said support means, means for displacing articles from the magazine downwardly through the article receiver to, an extent limited by the gauging table, stop means on the article receiver support facilitating correct positioning of the receiver, said stop means having cam faces over which the receiver is adapted to ride when shifted in one direction on its support.

11. As a new element of a machine of the class described, a removable article receiver including a pair of end castings and a pair of spaced parallel open topped channels having their ends secured in said end castings.

12. As a new element of a machine of the class described, a removable article receiver including a pair of end castings and a pair of spaced parallel open topped channels having their ends secured in said end castings, means affixed to the forward casting to serve as an abutment plate for the row of sticks.

13. As a new element of a machine of the class described, a removable article receiver including a pair of end castings and a pair of spaced parallel open topped channels having their ends se cured in said end castings, means affixed to the forward casting to serve as an abutment plate for the row of sticks, the channels having outwardly turned ribs'at their open upper ends adapted to slidably guide a follower magazine for the sticks.

14. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a support including a fiat table and a front abutment plate of an article receiver to be detachably mounted on said support, said receiver including spaced, parallel, rigidly connected, open-topped channel members adapted to receive splints, registration means carried by said receiver and adapted to coact with complementary registration means on the table and the abutment plate.

15. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a support including a flat table and a front abutment plate of an article receiver to be detachably mounted on said support, said receiver including spaced, parallel, rigidly connected, open-topped channel members adapted to receive splints, a wedge-shaped cam fixed upon the table adjacent the abutment plate, said cam being straddled by the spaced channels when the magazine is in applied position and serving to guide the means into correctly abutting relationship with the abutment plate.

16. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a support including a flat table and a front abutment plate of an article receiver to be detachahly mounted on said support, said receiver including spaced, parallel, rigidly connected, open-topped channel members adapted to receive splints, registration means carried by said receiver and adapted to coact with complementary registration means on the table and the abutment plate, a wedge-shaped cam fixed upon the table adjacent the abutment plate, said cam being straddled by the spaced channels when the magazine is in applied position and serving to guide the means into correctly abutting relationship with the abutment plate.

MILTON SCHNAIER. 

